Obviously getting higher organic search rankings on Google is critical. But figuring out the idiosyncrasies behind how Google computes their rankings is an incredibly difficult task!

This month, SEMrush conducted extensive research into search ranking factors via a novel machine-learning-based analysis of 600,000 keywords, pinpointing 17 elements that appear to impact the position of sites and search listings in the search results. And, by using their insights, you can make changes designed to help improve the rankings of your domain and pages:

Google processes over 3.5 billion searches per day. While these searches cover millions of different topics, a significant portion are people looking for a business or service in their local area, making Google one of the most important tools for customers and businesses alike.

Success is hard. As an entrepreneur, we're all focused on achieving a certain level of assured business, or a steady rate of incoming clients. What many overlook, however, is how difficult it is to continue to serve those clients with the same quality we originally promised. Scaling properly requires founders to keep track of many moving parts, demands and requirements, all while maintaining at least the appearance of order and security (and our own sanity).

The concept of a paperless office has been years in the making--nearly 41 to be exact. In the June 30, 1975 issue of BusinessWeek an article titled "The Office of the Future" started rounds of paperless office predictions. In the article, Vincent E. Giuliano asserted that "by 1990, most record-handling will be electronic." Other leaders were a bit more pragmatic in their assertions. Former president of Redactron Corporation Evelyn Berezin (who is best known for designing the first computer-driven word processor) stated, "It will be a long time--it always takes longer than we expect to change the way people customarily do their business."

How Visionaries Like Bill Gates Achieve Their Goals--and You Can Too Develop these three traits and you will be unstoppable. By Minda Zetlin Minda Zetlin is a business technology writer and speaker, co-author of The Geek Gap, and former president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Like this post? Sign up here for a once-a-week email and you'll never miss her columns.

It's better to give than to receive. You've probably heard these words of wisdom, maybe even repeated them to yourself in an attempt to suppress your disappointment after ending up on the short end of a holiday gift exchange.

"It's better to give ... it's better to give," you mutter under your breath as you remove the final scraps of wrapping paper to reveal the undeniable, crushing reality of the socks that constitute your ostensible present.

Admittedly, this is a first world problem. But it's also a problem worth keeping in mind, because it shows the danger of runaway expectations, and holds special relevance as the tech industry's habitual optimism is tested by news of cost-cutting and slowing growth.

A lot of time and energy is put into networking these days. For all the digital connections made on LinkedIn, there are still tons of people gathering at meet-ups and network parties. Some people go just to meet people, but serious networkers go with purpose and intent. They are looking for opportunities and they know how to pursue and capitalize without coming off creepy, pushy or desperate.

You can sharpen your networking skills with a little forethought and the tips below. Here is my approach and more insights from my Inc. colleagues.

We are more connected now than we've ever been before. On the one hand, this is a great thing. It makes it easier for people to collaborate with one another, work on their own time, and stay informed about the world. Unfortunately, this constant connectivity can at times be detrimental. Just because we have the capability to always be plugged in and working, doesn't mean it's a good idea.

You might know Bill Gates as a hugely successful entrepreneur, the billionaire founder of Microsoft, or even, in his latest incarnation, a dynamic philanthropist, but in his quieter, less public moments he's also something else -- an avid reader. Like many of the most successful business people, Gates recognizes the incredible power of reading to nurture the mind and give us fresh perspectives on the world. Perhaps that's why each year at TED he offers his fellow attendees a suggested reading list of books he thinks they should check out. Here are his picks for 2015.

When founders and CEOs look to hire and promote managers, they want people who exhibit leadership. But how can you exhibit leadership if you're stuck in individual contributor roles? No one reports to you, and you're not even a project manager.

Good news is, leader isn't a title, it's a group of characteristics, and you can acquire them, even if you're not the boss. Here are 10 ideas:

The 'most successful investor of the 20th century' has a thing or two to teach you about being a great leader. Warren Buffett is a famed philanthropist, business magnate, and sharklike investor. As the CEO and biggest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway and someone who consistently ranks among the richest people in the world, he's smart, business savvy, and slick, even into his 80s.

Around 70 percent of U.S. offices are now 'open plan.' And most people hate them. Many people claim that they are too noisy and too distracting. It's hard to concentrate, especially if you're always being interrupted. Others say that, however well-intended the design might be, it hinders collaboration because it's so hard to have a vigorous debate without drawing attention. According to The Economist, some studies show that workers in open space offices are more likely to suffer from high-blood pressure, stress and all those viruses and colds that circulate freely.

Are your employees pushing the boundaries? They can tap their super-powers -- if you ask them to.

Every business owner, myself included, wishes one time or another that an employee would step up, stretch or otherwise do something to help move the company forward in ways beyond his job description. The question is: How can we make this happen? Even more importantly, how can we inspire all our employees to step up at the same time? The answer turns out to be a lot simpler than I thought. You just need to ask.

Earlier this week, members of the Small Business Majority’s small business owner network met with President Obama at the White House to discuss the major problems facing small business owners in America. The number one concern voiced by the small business owners? Boosting the overall economy and stimulating growth.

It's no secret that some employees perform better than others. And while it takes all kinds of people to make the world go 'round, high performers are every company's most valuable resource. These are the employees who bring the greatest value to your business--and to your customers--so it pays to do whatever you can to keep them happy, engaged and with your company for the long run.

Here are 5 steps that will keep your high performers from looking elsewhere.

Balancing health, relationships, and work doesn't have to mean walking a tightrope.

Being a CEO is an incredibly lonely experience.

You're constantly under pressure and unsure about whom you can trust, which leads to wasted time and riding a roller coaster of uncertainty. Battling a never-ending list of expectations, you can make this struggle worse by neglecting your health and the people important to you.

By all counts and measures, Bradley Smith is an unequivocal business success. He's CEO of Rescue One Financial, an Irvine, California-based financial services company that had sales of nearly $32 million last year. Smith's company has grown some 1,400 percent in the last three years, landing it at No. 310 on this year's Inc. 500. So you might never guess that just five years ago, Smith was on the brink of financial ruin--and mental collapse.

A lot of entrepreneurs won't admit it, but here's the cold, hard truth: Just because you manage the finances of your own business doesn't mean you're savvy at managing your own money.

In fact, often because entrepreneurs are busy starting up and managing businesses--an inherently risky endeavor--they overlook their own personal financial risks. But you can't afford to do that. Especially when your business introduces a fair amount of uncertainty in your life, your own financial situation should be comparatively less exciting and unpredictable.